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Ready to RIP.

When Niner releases a new model, competitors and consumers alike take
notice. This is because of Niner's persistent research and design that
squeezes every ounce of performance from the popular 29er platform. With
125mm of travel, the carbon fiber R.I.P. 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame
continues Niner's tradition of shaking up the market by pushing its
bikes to the next level.

As big wheels are becoming more prevalent, they're proving themselves
on more and more technical terrain, and the demand for longer-travel
options is growing. Where Niner's WFO 9 is a 140mm travel bruiser, and
the JET 9 is a 100mm travel featherweight, the R.I.P. 9 smartly strikes a
perfect balance between the two. And now with Niner's RDO treatment,
it's destined to become the top choice for weight-focused endurance
racers and backcountry adventurers.

Niner's Race Day Optimized (RDO) designs have been steadily proving
their merit, and that's due to the level of refinement that goes into
each product. Niner engineers use the latest computer modeling to
explore every conceivable option before moving onto physical prototype
testing. Then, using both in-house and independent testing facilities,
Niner accumulates hours and hours of fatigue testing before placing the
protos under its highly skilled, enthusiastic, and abusive riders.

The results are clear -- a carbon monocoque structure has a massive
and menacing bottom bracket area with a removable ISCG05 chain-guide
mount, a direct-mount front derailleur interface, 142mm rear spacing,
titanium frame guards, and carbon linkages to boot. To say the R.I.P. 9
RDO checks all of the boxes is an understatement. But, those attributes
are worthless without a proven geometry, and luckily, Niner's already
sorted its mid-travel geometry with the alloy R.I.P. 9.

While the R.I.P. 9 RDO's angles are based on its alloy stable mate,
it's no carbon copy. The RDO treatment included a redesigned rear
triangle and suspension links, where the use of carbon allowed engineers
to add 10mm of travel without compromising tire clearance (2.4in max
depending on manufacturer). More impressive, however, is that Niner was
able to knock 5mm off of the chainstay length.

While the head tube and seat tube angles are the same as the alloy
R.I.P. 9 (70.5/73.5 degrees respectively with a 120mm fork), the
no-compromise RDO approach resulted in an overall chassis that's not
only significantly lighter than its alloy counterpart, but it also feels
sprightlier and pulls up easier due to a shorter wheelbase. And with
the added travel that's been squeezed out of the CVA suspension design,
the RDO will hold its composure over rougher terrain.

If you're not familiar with Niner's Constantly Varying Arc (CVA)
suspension system, it's not an existing 26 inch-wheeled platform that's
been adapted to 29ers. Instead, Niner started with a clean sheet which
meant it could tweak the links and pivots to enhance the ride of big
wheels. Niner placed extra stiff links in positions that isolated
pedaling forces while remaining fully active under all conditions.
Notice that the lower link sits below the bottom bracket. This places
the CVA’s instant center in a virtual position located ahead of the
drivetrain, causing chain tension at the rear axle to pull the two
linkages in opposite directions to effectively isolate the drivetrain
from the rear triangle. When you press on the pedals, nothing’s lost to
compressing the suspension, and you won’t suffer kickback from chainstay
growth when pedaling through rock gardens.

Another key feature of CVA is its low ratio of shock stroke to
suspension movement. This decreases the amount of preload needed, which
translates into smooth, effective damping and less drag on the seals of
the FOX FLOAT CTD with Kashima coating. To complement the CVA's smooth
nature is a full set of sealed angular contact cartridge bearings for
minimal maintenance and incredibly high tolerances.

The Niner R.I.P. 9 RDO Mountain Bike Frame is available in five sizes
from X-Small to X-Large and in the color Rally Blue. Please note that
Niner recommends forks ranging from 120 to 140mm for the R.I.P. 9 RDO,
and it uses a 30.9mm seat post, direct-mount front derailleur, 12x142mm
thru-axle, and a post mount disc brake. For those of you who intend on
running a one-by drivetrain, such as SRAM’s XX1, the RIP 9 RDO will
clear up to a 36t ring, with a 168mm Q Factor crankset.

View

Love the way it rides. Many problems

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

I have an XL with XT gruppo, 140mm Pike, I9 Enduro wheels. I am 6'4", 230 lbs. Clydesdale for sure, but in decent shape. I ride in Western NC. Steep stuff, muddy stuff at times, rocky stuff. When I point it down, I have pedaled it up before. No bike park shenanigans.

I love the way this thing rides. Good climber for the amount of squish, I Just climb it in trail mode. Actually pretty nimble through tight turns, especially for how massively big the XL frame is. Pick a line and point it and it'll get you down. Most of the time it gets you down even if the line you picked was suboptimal. Really can handle rough stuff well.

Problems: Initial frame warrantied for head tube tolerance problem with the headset cups basically just falling out (2014, I think, Rally Blue frame). That was the warranty reason, but I also had some major BB creaking issues (Replaced with a King, creak returned shortly), and one side of the upper linkage was separating. No bueno, but Niner warranty guys were fantastic (had an, ehm, delay in response from CC, so I went through a LBS to claim warranty). Replacement frame got rid of the headset issue, but the lower linkage developed some play very early, was "fixed", and then started having some play again. Replaced bearings within 500 miles of original warranty rebuild. BB creaking just started again. I love this bike, but it is sick a lot and I am worried about fixability.

My 0.02$: Great trail bike, does it all, and well. Iffy on quality. Only buy if you have a Niner dealer close to deal with issues. Make sure you have a healthy bike while your RIP 9 RDO is in the hospital. This may only apply to big guys with big frames, you know, lots of leverage etc. and nobody else may have these issues. I sure did/do.

Comment on Alexander K.'s review:

Great all mountain 29r!

Tried and true- one of the mtn bike classics. The kit calculator may not show all available options for a custom build but if we have it on the site we can build it. If you need help in configuring this bike feel free to contact me direct. Im always happy to oblige!

Great All-Arounder

Ride: I live in central Texas and ride here often in the rocky limestone and granite. I've also taken the bike to Breckenridge for a week, and Palo Duro canyon. The only thing I don't do with this bike is hit the really big jumps/drops at the freeride park. It can handle everything from flowy singletrack, and climbing, to really technical descents with fairly high speed. The 125mm rear will take much chunkier drops and hard descents than you would expect.

What It's not: It isn't the most efficient cross country and climing bike but it does quite well, especially when you use the CTD switch. It's not the most plush downhill bike, but you can take much more aggressive lines than most trail bikes or any cross country bike.

What it does exceptionally well: This bike handles technical climbs and "trail" riding fantastically. It is very efficient (much more so than my previous stumpy 29er). I ride this bike everywhere with a buddy who brings a Jet 9 (XC) or WFO9 (AM) and the RIP9 can hang in both cases. It's a really nice balance.

Comment on p.mp682500's review:

Cornering Machine

Familiarity: I've used it several times

I agree with the review below, except that I really like this bike. Compared to the Tallboy LT I'd say the Tallboy is better going uphill and plowing through crud, the RIP 9 is better at pretty much any kind of cornering. If your #1 priority is crushing miles in comfort then the Tallboy may be more your bag, but if you get your kicks from railing turns and ripping down more aggressive terrain I would definitely recommend the RIP 9. It is quick and stiff, and holds whatever line you dare to push it through.

It does still pedal great as well I just did a 3500' vert ride with it last weekend, but I will admit that the VPP on the tallboy gives an overall quicker feel when pedaling than the Niner CVA suspension.

I've only put around 50 miles on mine so far, but they've been pretty solid single track miles of climbing and descending. Overall, I'd say the marketing on this bike is pretty true. I don't believe an actual quiver killer exists, but this is definitely a bike that can pedal and climb all day and instill confidence on the descents.

Comment on Than Volk's video:

RIP 9 RDO Hardware

Comment on DAVID FIKE's video:

A tad over hyped I think.

Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I had a chance to take one of these out on a demo run and I was really excited to ride what all of the magazines claim to be the ultimate quiver killer. After all the hype that it has been given in the media I could not help but be let down a little bit. The bike rode very well, however, I think I kept expecting more. It did not feel nearly as composed and stable as other bikes I have ridden that are similar, the Santa Cruz Tallboy LT comes to mind. The RIP is a very playful bike and takes a special riding style to get the most out of it. If you like skip across roots rocks and other trail features and ride a lot of jump strewn flow trails this bike is an absolute ripper. Despite various shock adjustments and set ups, the bike just did not offer the amazing all around performance I have heard so many people claim about it. Maybe i just let all of the positive reviews and media attention go to my head and I had built it up too much in my mind.

Comment on BJ Platte's review:

26 Month update; RIP RDO

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

26 month update since building up this RIP carbon Niner in Nov. of 13: Pros - This bike RIPs, joke intended. It's a goat uphill and very capable downhill. Paired with a 140mm front fork, I've found this frame very capable. The Niner folks have done a good job with stiffness and frame geometry. The rear stays get he rear wheel under you well, albeit not the most nimble ~5" travel 29er I've been on, but a close second. The CTD Fox shock has been a solid performer so far. Easy to dial in and capable of sucking up most things on Enduro style rides. Exterior cable routing lugs are well located. Broke the pivot 11 months in. Niner replaced at no cost. The rear suspension pivot service does require time and a locktite regiment. Overall: Pleased. Pretty cool 125mm rear travel 29er. Niner RIP RDO is a great performing full suspension carbon 29er.

In 2014, dominated over other 29er's demo'd: Specialized Enduro Comp, Specialized Camber Carbon EVO, Specialized Stumpjumper, Giant Trance 5, Trek Fuel 9, Trek Remedy 7, Turner Sultan, Cannondale Scalpel. Fast Forward September 2015. Broke the Black RIP 9 RDO frame pictured. Niner 5 year warranty covered the frame. Niner was super to work with. Replaced with 2015 White and Green frame. New frame holding up so far and have run it through the paces. Cons: It broke. Still enjoy it but it's become the XC trail bike not the rally monster. Got a larger travel bike for that now. Not the one quiver bike I hoped for, but neither is the new beast. Every bike has it's strengths. The Niner RIP 9 RDO does most everything well.